It's that time of year

Firstly, I'd like to direct your attention to this post. I'll wait ...

Toot! That's me tooting my own horn for one of the few times I've predicted correctly. Usually, my prognosticating, in a word, sucks. But I stand by my prediction: Rays in 5.

I'm not half the visionary as the 11-year-old I saw at the card show Sunday afternoon. He and his dad were going from table to table buying every David Price card they could find. He had a bunch. They're probably all on eBay right now.

Anyway, this is the time of the year, as it has been the last 20 years, when I pick out all the ex-Dodgers participating in the World Series. Some years there are none. Some there are a bunch. We have a fairly sizable crop this year.

Let's start with Don Zimmer (above), the Rays' "senior baseball advisor." I don't know what a senior baseball advisor does. But on Sunday, his job was throwing out the first pitch. Zimmer, of course, was most known during his Dodger career for getting drilled more than once in the cranium. His tales of recovery are a bit frightening.

The Rays have several players on their team that they acquired from the Dodgers in what were, more or less, major fleecing operations. Danys Baez, Toby Hall and Mark Hendrickson are doing real well for L.A., aren't they?

Meanwhile, Edwin Jackson ...

... and Dioner Navarro ...

... are valued members of the American League champion Rays. Tampa Bay also has Willy Aybar, who once was a Dodger until he was traded to the Braves for Wilson Betemit. The Rays also have a couple other ex-Dodgers who I believe aren't on the postseason roster.

As for the Phillies, there's Jayson Werth, who starts in the outfield and was a Dodger until 2006. I mostly remember Werth for being injured all the time.

Werth has an interesting family story. His stepfather is Dennis Werth, who was a backup with the Yankees and Royals. Jayson's uncle is Dick Schofield Jr., who was with the Blue Jays when they won the World Series in 1993. And Werth's grandfather is Dick Schofield, a World Series champion with the Pirates in 1960, who also played for ...

... yup, the Dodgers, in 1966 and 1967. (He really didn't play for the Dodgers wearing a Pirate uniform. Topps just wanted you to think that).

The other Dodgers connection on the Phillies is one everyone knows, I guess, coach Davey Lopes. ...

... or "Davy" as Fleer liked to call him. Lopes will always be a Dodger to me. You can dress him in a Phillies jersey or Brewers jersey, an Astros jersey or A's jersey. He's still a Dodger.

So, do all the ex-Dodgers affect who I'm rooting for in the Series? No, not really. Don't forget, the Phillies are my Plan B team. I'm a Philly backer until the end of the season.